No problem, Nichole! There's a 'Lil' Runaround' with your name on it!
Anyhow, what ultimately will wind up in the box is and will always be a secret... ;)
Olaf
Suggestions for a Spring Round Robin
Ok, so when do you usually start thawing out where each of you are located? I think it would be great if we can time this to a point when maybe extra insulation would serve better than a heat pack (insulation weighs less) . . .
What I've decided to do when I separate my babies from the mama leaves is to plant them all in a perlite/vermiculite mix. This was mainly for when I take them to the club sale in May, that all the buyer would have to do is rinse off the excess and put in their own mix. (I usually sell small starter plants - don't have room for full grown sales plants!).
I think the perlite/vermiculite mix weighs less also, so that is what I will do for my round robin contributions.
Agreed! Heat packs have a tendency to produce "steamed Gessies" anyway... Not a big fan of these... LOL
Perlite/Vermiculite or Sphaghnum are usually the most effective medium for cuttings anyway and they save weight since only a little bit will cling to the roots.
Things are getting serious here lol. Can't wait too. Seems like OH and IL are the coldest points of the route and by the end of April it could be safe enough to mail plants. Or the beginning of May for sure.
I've been busy trimming too and ended up with a few containers. Here is Codonatanthus:
Episcia lilacina
AV leaves which will remain a secret for now
'tis the season... LOL
Looking good!!!
This sounds like so much fun! Gives me an excuse to buy more at our show next month:)
I would like to add to the above instructions for shipping to carefully attach a label or identification to each plant. It is very frustrating to get plants mixed up because they were not labeled properly. You can wrap and tape a plant in newspaper and attack masking tape to the outside with the name written on it or use labels if you have them.
I don't mean to sound cranky but that is one thing that bugs me.
Pat M.
True! Nothing is more frustrating than a bunch of plants with mixed up labels... Even if the plant isn't a named variety, it helps to attach a label like "Sinningia speciosa, red and white flowers".
Also, it's a good idea to bag and label each cutting separately and then put the little bags into another, larger bag like a one or two gallon zip lock. This is an additional layer of dehydration protection.
I *try* to put photos on the bag stickers.
Oh, does everyone know that you can mail from home? If you go to the USPS online site, you just measure the box and weigh it and print out the priority mail postage on your printer. I leave a note note in the mailbox (folded so it stands up) that tells the postman I have a package for pickup and he comes up to the door and I give it to him. This would only work if you are going to be home but it does save a trip. It would NOT be good to leave the box on the doorstep for him in this instance because of weather or the chance that it would be stolen.
Pat M.
Also, if you go to USPS click and ship, you get a discount. It's not much, but still cheaper than going to P,O. I send all my packages that way.
I send all of mine that way as well. The last round robin that I did used a large FRB, which made things super easy. No weighing, etc.
Took a bunch of episcia cuttings this weekend...
I'M GETTING ANXIOUS!!!!
Celene, what is a FRB? If possible I try to use the Regional boxex. There's A, B, and now a new one, C. Some time it's cheaper that the One price boxes, which go by size.
Eileen, I think that is Flat Rate Box . . .
Maybe, if there is enough interest, we could do instead of one large RR, we could do 1 or 2 regional ones instead . . . I will check out the postage prices, etc . . .
Duh!! I don't know where my mind was. When it comes to using the regional boxes, you have to check by weight (each size has a limit) and where ilt's going. I was sending my granddaughter a birthday gift, and found it was cheaper using a regular priority box (which are hard to come by) at the PO. They would prefer you to use the flat rate ones. I order a few sizes of the med and lg boxes on line. It all depends on where it's going and the weight. Got to save $$$ so we have more to spend on gessies. LOL
One of my daughters knocked down an Alsobia with a soccer ball and broke off lots of stolons. They are all down to root now for the RR! I'm not telling which variety it is.
I also ordered a shipment of the regular medium box priority mail boxes (not the flat rate ones) . . . but, I still have a larger box that I got my order from Travis Violets over a year ago . . . still has the insulation inside, etc . . . I think between all of us, we will be covered as far as boxes go!
I have tons of FRB's and regular priority mail boxes, I regularly ship for my business. I can save a smallish styro cooler if we order vaccines at work--it has about 2-3" of styro in the sides, the container is probably oh...16" square. They're used to ship refrigerated drugs or biologicals.
Okay, my two cents on flat rate boxes: I have found that if you ship more than just a handful of cuttings or something else small and light, you may have a chance to save with regular priority boxes.
However, I used a regular priority box once to ship maybe half a dozen plants in solo cups and another bag full of cuttings. I always use newspaper for padding and that's what I did then.
The same flat rate box would have cost me something like five bucks, the regular priority box cost me almost 15!
The absolute advantage of flat rate boxes is that the charges are neither weight nor distance dependent.
Olaf
In most cases you will find the large #7 post office box holds more and ships cheaper than the the flat rate boxes.
Lynn
That's what I've got .. . the #7's . . .
You know what? You are all absolutely right! The large flat rate box went up to over fifteen bucks! Wow! They sure aren't as cheap as they used to be...
No,they aren't cheap anymore,unless you are shipping something heavy.You can ship something like 70 pounds for the same price as 2 or 3 pounds.
This sounds interesting, But I have some questions.
What is NOID?
What is ORV ? off road vehicle?
Do you have to send the cultivar name, or is a description (say bloom color) adequate?
If they're named, the cultivar name is always good.
NOID = no ID, not a named plant or an unknown of some kind
ORV = Ohio River Valley
Thanks Celene
I like Gesneriads, but am only mildly interested in AV. I have a couple different Episcias, and one lonesome Strep. I love streps, but have a hard time with the, They seem to take forever from leaf cuttings, and are bad to get mealy bugs for me. I have one or two miniature siningias. It sounds like fun. I want to join up.
Hi goldhillal,
I'm from Montgomery, Al. Streps don't do so great for me because of the heat. I bought 15 small ones in solo cups last Spring and have 5 survivors! They are the ones that could take the heat this summer. I grow lots of gessies. Have you ever been to the meeting in Birmingham?
No, never been to a meeting.
It's nice to see someone from closer around in Alabama.
I keep my streps in the air conditioning instead of taking them outside in summer. you are right, they don't do well with the heat. but they still seem to go downhill in summer. Bloom in the spring and then slide downhill. Maybe they just ca't get enough light. And the greenhouse window over the sink may be too hot?
Maybe I should just give up, but I do like them a lot.
I haven't had much luck with streps, so I've avoided them. Hopefully there will be some leaves in the RR and I'll be able to try again. Spring is getting closer. WooHoo!!!
Streps and heat are not very compatible. Some of the hybrids can take Summer heat much better than others but generally, Summer is the biggest challenge. What I do is slightly overpot them and keep them evenly moist. The evaporating water cools the roots down a little. With this method, I was able to get my handful of Streps through triple digit temperatures here in Chicago...
My streps had never done well, but I realized I had closed the air conditioning vent mostly in the growing room and when I opened it they perked up. They really do like it cool it seems. I think they would be happier growing on a windowsill in air conditioning than outside.
Pat
Episcias like high humidity and warmth just fine :)
I thought you all would like to see a plant that I grew from a leaf I received in the last round robin I participated in on this forum in May 2010. Some kind soul put in a leaf of 'Brass Band' which is a vintage 1970 african violet. It has grown up to be a gorgeous plant and it will be shown March 2 in my local society show.
Hope you like it!
Wow! zozzl that is beautiful!
Years ago I had an AV as a gift called double black cherry. The plant was huge-12 in across at least. I have never seen it since. But the other day in Lowe's I did see one I had long ago. It was a double blue with a white (picotee?) edge on the blossom. I wanted it, but I beat myself off it thinking about what I might get in this RR.
It's a beauty Pat!
Pat, that is a beauty. I have a leaf too, from that RR. Mine still has not bloomed. I'm patiently waiting. After seeing yours, I getting more 'antsy' to see it bloom.
This is ONE BOLD vintage Violet! I'm always thrilled that at least some of them have been given a chance to live on! :)
This message was edited Feb 23, 2012 4:59 PM